For the subsequent print article that appears in today's Post, 'Riffs interviewed Kinney to get his side of the still-feel-good story. Kinney recalls getting that first reply from Peirce while still a University of Maryland college student ("It was a handwritten letter, which included many drawings that provided guidance on how I could improve my prospects") and why he sought "Big Nate" for inclusion in Poptropica.com ("I've always thought 'Big Nate' deserved a bigger audience, and it was exciting to think that we could bring the comic to millions of kids").

Alas, if some current-day would-be cartoonist were to ask a professional like Lincoln Pierce how to get a strip published, he would likely be told, "Don't bother." The reason is made all too explicit in today''s episode of "My Cage":